WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/CRI/95 
4 May 2010 
 (10-2454) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Notifying Member:  COSTA RICA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible:  Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganaderí a, Servicio Nacional de Salud 
Animal , SENASA (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, National Animal Health Service)
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO;  ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Products of animal origin 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[X] All trading partners [ ] Specific regions or countries: 
5. Title of the notified document:  Criterios para la clasificación de establecimientos o 
actividades específicas para efectos de ot orgamiento de Certificado Veterinario de 
Operación  (Criteria for the classification of estab lishments or specific activities for the 
purpose of issuing the veterinary certificate of operation). 
Text available online at: 
http://www.senasa.go.cr/Documentos/Lega l/Directrices/2010/DIRECTRIZ-SENASA-01-
10.pdf . 
Full text of notification available online at: 
http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2010/sps/CRI/10_1587_00_s.pdf  
Language:  Spanish  Number of pages:  31 
6. Description of content:  Given that there is currently no system which enables 
establishments requiring a veterinary certificate of operation to be classified as small, 
medium or large, there is a need for a dir ective which establishes and defines this scale in 
general terms. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [X] food safety , [X] animal health, [ ] plant protection, 
[X] protect humans from animal/plant pest or  disease, [ ] protect territory from other 
damage from pests.  G/SPS/N/CRI/95 
Page 2  
 
  8. Is there a relevant international stan dard?  If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or serial number of Codex standard 
or related text)  
[X] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)  
[ ] None Does this proposed regulation conform to  the relevant international standard? 
 [X] Yes [ ] No 
 If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:  
9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available: 
• Ley General del Servicio Nacional de Salud Animal, SENASA (General Law 
governing the National Animal Health Service) No. 8495 of 6 April 2006 and 
Decreto Ejecutivo  (Executive Decree) of the Minist ry of Agriculture and Livestock 
No. 28861-MAG of 12 August 2002:  Reglamento de Registro y Control de 
Medicamentos Veterinarios  (Regulations governing the registration and control of 
veterinary medicines); 
• Decreto (Decree) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock No. 35604-MAG of 
28 October 2009, published in Official Journal La Gaceta No. 236 of 
4 December 2009;  and 
• Decree of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock No. 34859-MAG of 
20 October 2008:  Reglamento General para el Otorgamiento del Certificado 
Veterinario de Operación  (General Regulation governing the issue of the 
veterinary certificate of operation).  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  Upon publication of Directive ( Directriz ) 
SENASA-DG-D001-2010 in Official Journal La Gaceta No. 29 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) :  11 February 2010 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [ ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  11 February 2010 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure 
12. Final date for comments:  [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification 
and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  Not applicable 
Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if 
available) of other body:   G/SPS/N/CRI/95 
 Page 3 
 
 
  13. Texts available from:  [X] National Notification Authority, [X] National Enquiry 
Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:  
Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería 
Servicio Nacional de Salud Animal (SENASA) Centro de Información y Notificación en  Medidas Sanitarias y Fitosanitarias 
Apartado Postal 70-3006 
Barreal de Heredia, Costa Rica Tel.: +(506) 22 60 83 00, Ext. 2065 Fax: +(506) 22 62 78 31 E-mail: notificaciones@sfe.go.cr 
Website: http://www.senasa.go.cr/